Tajh Boyd laughs off $80k gambling debt rumors

Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd is laughing off an internet report that he has piled up an $80,000-plus gambling debt betting mostly on NFL games.

The report, written by a man referring to himself as “Incarcerated Bob,” did get some attention. According to Clemson site TheClemsonInsider.com:

The betting line for the game opened with Florida State favored by 3½ despite being lowered ranked and the visiting team. The line held until Saturday when, shortly after the story published, the line moved to 5½, a significant difference.

In a response to an email, Incarcerated Bob said his information “comes from direct sources in Vegas that have ties to the bookies,” and that bettors who would drive a line already had it before his story.

Naturally, the conspiracy theorists came out in full force following Florida State’s 51-14 beatdown.

But TheClemsonInsider.com says at least one writer who covers gambling has his doubts.

Earlier this year a former Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter, who has covered the gaming industry for five years including contributions to ESPN and The Sporting News, attempted to reach Incarcerated Bob for an interview. Incarcerated Bob had been a caller to a radio talk show in New York. In his blog “Bald and Sensitive,” David Purdum wrote in June, “All I really wanted was an interview.” Instead, Purdum said, he was harassed and threatened. …

Replying to a Twitter message I sent him, Purnum said the site “has continually made up stories (without) attribution for publicity. No reason to believe this is any different.”

Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich says his compliance department is investigating the Bob’s “report.” According to TheState.com, school compliance officials interviewed Boyd and are looking into the the track record of the site where Bob’s report appeared before sending their findings to the ACC.

Boyd laughed off the matter, while Tigers coach Dabo Swinney is taking his quarterback’s word over that of “Incarcerated Bob.”

“I don’t really know where that came from,” Boyd told the media Tuesday. “When I heard it, it was pretty shocking. That being built on top of the loss made it a rough little weekend.”

Boyd joked about the debt being racked up betting on NFL games.

“I have Northland Cable,” he said. “I only get two games on Sunday.”

“That just added to my beautiful Sunday,” Swinney said. “… It’s disappointing that we live in this world where things like that happen.

“I have no reason to think that he lied to me. He’s never lied to me before. Obviously, it would be a major problem if you have somebody lying to you about something like that. You’d have to move on in a different direction. It’s that simple.

“I have no reason not to trust him, absolutely. No question, his integrity is impeccable.”